Steve - I was referring to a standard road bike, rather than a hybrid. Few people choose one as a primary race bike nowadays, though one specific model - Cannondale's CAAD series, currently at CAAD10 - is still considered an excellent race bike, at a couple thousand dollars under a comparably equipped carbon bike, and Specialized almost came out with an S-Works (factory racing) version of the Allez this year. Jamis and BMC also offer aluminum racing-specific bikes, and almost all other companies offer aluminum road bikes. My mutt build is on a 2009 CAAD9 frameset, and I'd race it in a heartbeat.